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Monday, December 26, 2016

The fifty-fourth Greenlandic national championship was heldbetween 7-13 August in the country's capital, Nuuk, and it was, in essence, a case of dèja-vu, with all four of last year's semi-finalists reaching the same stage again this year. The capital's premier club, B-67, retained their status as the nation's finest after first blasting their way through the qualifying round and then sweeping the opposition aside with the minimum of fuss during the final stages. B-67 created history in doing so; they lifted their fifth title in a row, which had never before been done in the history of Greenlandic football, and their twelfth title in all by playing some pretty impressive football.

They bulldozed the capital's oldest club, GSS, aside in their first qualifying fixture, scoring 19 without reply, and then beat their long-time rivals, NÛK, 5:1. In the final qualifying match, GSS were thrashed 14:0 by NÛK. It was GSS's first qualifying tournament in a number of years, having apparently decided some years back to concentrate on the indoor game, but it was good to see the club, whose last appearance at a national championship forty years ago coincided with their fourth and last title, taking part in qualifying once more. Meanwhile, IT-79, last year's runners-up, were hosting the national championship and so were exempt from taking part in the qualification process.

Two other teams who have been absent from the final stages of a Greenlandic national championship for quite some time did make a welcome return to the tournament: Siuteroq-43 and TM-62. For TM-62 from the eastern town of Kulusuk, it was their second-ever appearance at a national finals and their first since 2007, when they finished fourth. They finished second in the eastern Greenland qualifying behind ATA Tasiilaq, but in front of IT-80. However, ATA declined to send a team to Nuuk, which resulted in TM-62 taking their place. Kâgssagssuk, from Maniitsoq, came through the central Greenland qualification process.

Siuteroq-43, from the southern town of Nanortalik, had not made the national finals since 2000, when they finished last, but the signs this time were encouraging. They simply romped through qualifying, scoring 23 goals in 3 matches whilst themselves conceding only 3, and put six past last year's regional champions K-1933.

Up north, meanwhile, FC Malamuk came through a three-team regional championship (which also featured Eqaluk-56 and Uqalek-55), whilst perennial challengers Nagdlúnguak-48, who last won the championship back in 2007 and Qeqertarsuaq side G-44 qualified from the Diskobygten region, disposing of T-41 and last year's surprise package Kugsak-45.

The tournament opened with the game between IT-79 and TM-62, and it was a taste of things to come for the team - and for their hapless goalkeeper Harold Mathæusen in particular - from the east. They found themselves 5:0 down at half-time, and thanks in no small part to a Malik Juhl hat-trick and a brace from Mads Andersen, they went on to lose 11:0. Hans Karl Berthelsen starred for IT-79, and he scored his side's fifth, perhaps the goal of the game. Simply put, he won possession just inside the TM-62 half, ran 45 yards with the ball and stuck it in the bottom left-hand corner.

FC Malamuk and Nagdlúnguak-48 met in the second group match on the opening day, and it ran pretty much according to the form-book. Nick Reimer stepped up to give N-48 the lead from the penalty spot after 7 minutes, and it was 2:0 after 11 minutes when Minik Svendsen half-volleyed home with aplomb from 10 yards out. That was basically it; N-48 were perfectly content to let FC Malamuk come at them for most of the rest of the match, with goalkeeper Gabriel Petersen doing what was required on a couple of occasions to keep a blank sheet.

The horror continued for TM-62 in their second match, against Nagdlúnguak-48, which was played in extremely testing conditions for both man and modern technology; national broadcaster KNR ended up withdrawing their television coverage of the second half due to the atrocious conditions. It took only 130 seconds for N-48 to open the scoring; a looping header from Nick Reimer, who went on to score five goals, bounced back off the crossbar and into his path, and his shot was deflected past Mathæusen.

It was 8:0 at half-time whenlocal television station KNR ceased their coverage of the match due to technical difficulties as the wind continued to howl and the rain came down in torrents, but there was no end to the goalscoring. Despite some sources claiming that the final score was 10:0; the final score was actually 12:0 to Nagdlúnguak-48; Simon Dinesen, Lars Reimer, Hansinguaq Lennert and Kaali Mathæusen continued the goal-fest during the second half.

The next day, the weather abated but IT-79 continued to bang in the goals when they defeated FC Malamuk by 5 goals to 2. Malik Juhl continued his record of scoring in every game at the tournament, netting twice; another two from Jakob Fleischer and one from Berthelsen completed the scoring for the students. Bernhardt Fleischer and Inuutesuaq Løvstrøm replied for FC Malamuk.

IT-79and Nagdlúnguak-48 met in the final group game to decide the group winners, and it was anybody's game at the break with the teams tied at 0:0. That changed when Markus Jensen put N-48 into the lead with a slide-rule finish in the 51st minute, and that proved the start of a shocking forty minutes for IT-79. Niels Jørgen Jensen quickly added a fine second, and N-48 rattled in another three goals in a superb display of counter-attacking football as the second half wore on through Nick Reimer and the consistently impressive duo of Markus Jensen and Simon Dinesen, with each goal more impressive than the last. It was a simply imperious second half from Ilulissat's boys in green, and IT-79 had no answer. They had been outclassed.

The first match in Group B was an eagerly-awaited affair between champions B-67 and the last team to beat them in a national championship final back in 2011, G-44, but it proved something of an anti-climax. Johan Bidstrup put B-67 ahead after 20 minutes after picking up a loose ball in the box. Ari Hermann doubled their advantage nine minutes later, punishing G-44 to the maximum for some sloppy play in midfield. G-44 huffed and puffed a bit from then on in but never really came close to blowing down B-67's house.

Siuteroq-43 won their first match at a national championship for 16 years when they deservedly defeated Kâgssagssuk 3:1; Malik Kristoffersen equalised an early Kâgssagssuk strike when he put the ball through 'keeper Nikki Olsvig Lyberth's legs in the 47th minute before Karsten Andersen put them in front with 20 minutes remaining, and added the third ten minutes later, stealing in behind the defence to sidefoot a volley past Lyberth.

Suiteroq's goal-laden juggernaut came to a shuddering halt in their next match, when they lost to a controversial goal against G-44. G-44's Ilansiaq Martinsen was clipped by opponent Ian Enoksen near the right-hand touchline, but play was allowed to continue by the match officials before the referee called play back and awarded a drop ball. The Siuteroq players allowed G-44 to take the drop ball unopposed, expecting that the ball would be played back to them (or out for a goal-kick) as they were in possession when play was called back.

Instead, Lars Peter Broberg played the ball forward to Aputsiaq Olsen, who ran on with the ball unopposed, cut into the penalty-area and shot; the shot was blocked but the ball came to Inooraq Olrik, who smashed it home. There were protests from several of the Siuteroq players, but the goal, quite properly, stood. G-44 may not have been "acting within the spirit of the (modern-day) game" and the referee could have been at fault for allowing the goal to stand, but there is, thankfully, no clause contained within the Laws of the Game which demands that Team X gives the back to Team Y if they have put the ball out of play - or the referee eventually decided to stop play and awards a drop-ball - after their player has been injured (and, hopefully, no such clause will ever be inserted into the document).

G-44 had the lion's share of the chances, particularly as the second half drew to a close and conditions on and off the pitch worsened, and Maassinguaq Brandt missed the chance of the match with eight seconds left but shot straight at Hans Enok Eriksen in the Siuteroq goal. Still, one goal was enough to get G-44 up and running.

Ari Hermann scored again for B-67 as he and Niels Skane found the net to all but eliminate Kâgssagssuk in the next group match, and got his third in as many matches as B-67 knocked out Siuteroq in both teams' final group game. A brace from Poul Thomas Kuko and a goal from John Ludvig Broberg completed the scoring in a 4:0 win. G-44's progression to the semi-finals along with B-67, and Kâgssagssuk's position at the bottom of the group, were confirmed when they were dispatched 6:2 by G-44 in the final group match.

Aputsiaq Olsen opened the scoring for G-44 with a fierce shot through a packed penalty-area after 78 seconds which was to prove the quickest goal of the tournament. Kâgssagssuk had a chance to equalise from the penalty-spot after 18 minutes when Nathan Møller was given a lesson in scorched-earth tackling by G-44 defender Ilansiaq Martinsen. Møller picked himself up, and shot straight at goalkeeper Knud Brandt; Angutimmarik Kreutzmann was on hand to score the rebound with a looping header. Parity lasted less than three minutes; Olsen put G-44 back in front when he barged through the last defender and then the goalkeeper before scoring from an acute angle.

The goals kept coming after the break: Steve Broberg, Pavia Lynge Mølgård with two goals in two minutes and Inooraq Olrik made it 6:1 to G-44. In the last minute of normal time, Kâgssagssuk's Jan Lyberth ran through on Brandt's goal and rounded the 'keeper, who then delivered one of the finest rugby-tackles in Greenlandic sporting history. The referee rewarded Brandt with a red card - the first and, as it would transpire, the only one of the entire tournament; it was a needless tackle in the first place as his team were five goals in front and certain of a place in the semi-finals, which he would now miss. Captain Zakorat Zeeb took over goalkeeping duties but could not keep out Søren Kreutzmann's precise penalty which put a slightly more positive gloss on the scoreline for the losing side, who were better than the final score suggests.

G-44 were paired with N-44 in the first semi-final, and after a fairly even first half, Nagdlúnguak-48 turned the screw half-way through the second half. Markus Jensen, playing in his first match of the tournament, put them in front with a lovely shot from just inside the penalty-area which curled away from goalkeeper Johan Zeeb into the top corner.

The game was put beyond G-44's reach in the 73rd minute thanks in part to a mistake from Zeeb. Instead of catching an overhit through ball, he elected to chest it down at the edge of the area, but misjudged the bounce of the ball. The ball glanced off his chest and fell to Simon Dinesen, who controlled the loose ball and stroked it into an empty net from ten yards out. G-44 piled on the pressure after falling behind, but N-48 held on to reach the final.

The second semi-final was a repeat of last year's final between B-67 and IT-79, and the expectation was that it would be a tight affair. B-67 spent much of the first half on the attack but were unable to create any sort of chance until the 35th minute, when John Ludvig Broberg let fly from 20 yards out with a low, wickedly curling effort which Bent Johnsen blocked with his knees. They went in front after 38 minutesvia a sumptuous strike from Ari Hermann; he was on the end of a pinpoint cross from Mika Davidsen on the right-hand side which travelled across the penalty-area. Hermann met it on the stride and sidefooted a volley past the transfixed Johnsen into the roof of the net.

The second half began in much the same way as the first, but Johan Bidstrup found himself in space in the IT-79 early on in the half and volleyed his shot from a Johannes Groth cross into the ground, and the ball spun wickedly into the net to double B-67's advantage. In the 61st minute, IT-79 lost the ball in midfield and then lost concentration in defence as Ari Hermann's low cross evaded everybody in the penalty-area and came to Anders Petersen, who side-footed a daisy-cutter past Johnsen. Three minutes before time, Norsaq Lund Mathæusen judged a through ball to perfection, ran on, rounded Johnsen with the IT-79 defence floundering in his wake, and stroked the ball into the empty net to complete the scoring.

The next day saw all four semi-finalists take a day off as the teams involved in the minor play-offs took centre-stage, and it was, alas, a case of "plus ça change" for TM-62 as they were pummeled 10:0 by Kâgssagssuk in the 7th-8th place play-off.

After being the better team during the first ten minutes, TM-62 fell behind in the 12th minute when Søren Kreutzmann tapped in after a melée and move in the penalty-area involving Phillip Holmene and Nikolaj Nielsen. Kâgssagssuk scored four more goals in the first half, but in between times, Thomas Abelsen then wasted a chance to put TM-62 on the scoresheet when he completely scuffed his spot-kick, bobbling it towards the otherwise virtually unemployed Klaus Egede's right, enabling the 'keeper to make the easiest of saves.

Jørgen-Peter Petersen thrashed in Kâgssagssuk's sixth after 52 minutes; shortly afterwards, TM-62's goalkeeper Mathæusen was finally put out of his misery when he was substituted by Egon Poulsen. Despite conceding 30 goals during the tournament (some of which he will doubtless look back on and think he could have prevented), Mathæusen had saved his team from greater humiliation with some fine goalkeeping..but despite the substitution, the goal-rush continued. Nathan Møller scored his second, as did Petersen - whose goal came in between two from substitute Markus Maratse - with one of the goals of the match, a subtle strike with the outside of his right boot from the edge of the area which glided into Poulsen's top left-hand corner. Ten should have rightfully been eleven as seconds after Maratse's second, Poulsen fouled Angutimmarik Kreutzmann and Abelsen blocked Johansen's follow-up with his arm, sending the ball over the bar, only for the referee to somehow miss both transgressions and instead award a corner for Kâssagssuk.

The scoreline spoke for itself; TM-62 were outclassed by their opponents, as they had been in every game they had played. It must be said, though, that although the gap in class between them and their opponents was glaringly obvious throughout the competition, they kept plugging away and always attempted to play neat football, with Abelsen, Dilare Bajare, Jens-Ole Nuko and goalkeeper Mathæusen among the best on show for the team from East Greenland. There have been many cases of clubs from the region scratching from the final tournament after winning the regional competition, due mainly to a lack of finances; it is still unclear as to why ATA - who hail from Tasiilaq - did likewise this time round, but at least TM-62 were ready to take up the vacant spot. They also face the same constraints as every other club in the region: there are large financial costs to take into consideration when competing even at a regional level, and, as a whole, the region is suffering the effects of depopulation.

The distances between the various towns and villages can be problematic, even when taking part in the regional championship. It can take two to three days for a club from East Greenland to reach any venue for the national championship; they then have to play at least four matches in the space of a week and then fly home again. Plus, there is also a lack of proper facilities at a local level; artificial pitches of all sizes are springing up all across Greenland, but on the east coast, only one has been built so far - at Ittoqqortoormiit, hundreds of miles to the north-east of where the majority of east coast settlements are situated.The usual calls for teams from the east of the country to join with those from the deep south in pre-qualifying will no doubt have been made, but it is important that East Greenland be represented at the national tournament, not least to keep the game alive there.

Kâgssagssuk showed what they were capable of against TM-62, but it was too little, too late. They were always up against it in a group containing B-44 and G-44, and although they not quite at the same level as their two more illustrious opponents, they were not disgraced. Søren Kreutzmann, Mika-Peter Hansen, Nathan Møller and Jakob Kreutzmann produced fine performances for their side.

The fifth-place play-off between FC Malamuk and Siuteroq-43 was a very even affair, but FC Malamuk took the lead after 26 minutes when Hans Peter Bernhardsen nodded in a Lars Peter Svane corner, beating the flailing goalkeeper Hans Erik Enoksen to the ball. Siuteroq came back strongly, but FC Malamuk looked as though they would reach the interval unscathed..until fate took an ugly turn in the second minute of first-half injury-time.

An Ian Enoksen free-kick into the FC Malamuk was headed high and aimlessly away by one of the defenders, and the ball fell to Minik Stephensen, who was standing alone at the edge of the six-yard area some four yards from the goal-line. Stephensen headed the ball across into the densely-populated rectangle and Malamuk's Morten Fleischer chested the ball down and into his own net despite his and team-mate Nukkulannguaq Jensen's attempts to stop the ball bouncing gently over the line. Although the ball was clearly going away from goal but was deflected in off Fleischer, GBU records credit Stephensen with the goal. One for the GBU's dubious goals committee. Regardless, it was level pegging at the break.

The second half was as even as the first, with neither side making much of an impression and few shots on goal. The breakthrough came in the 77th minute, when a cross from Siuteroq's Dolfe Egede Lund was back-headed by Eli Simonsen over Malamuk's imposing if cumbersome goalkeeper Johannes Street and into the net with two defenders all at sea. Siuteroq were in front, much to the delight of their small but exuberant following, who had made the long journey to the Greenlandic capital from the southernmost reaches of the country and were clearly enjoying themselves.

Three minutes later, Rafael Semsen beat Aqqalua Skade down the left, sent in a low cross and Ian Enoksen scuffed his shot accurately past Street and into the bottom right-hand corner to make it 3:1..or so everybody thought. The linesman had raised his flag, and after a brief consultation between both match officials, the goal was disallowed, much to the consternation of the Siuteroq support, although none of the players protested the final decision. They had every right to as the goal appeared legitimate; Semsen beat Skade fairly and squarely to the ball, and Enoksen was onside by at least three yards when he received the ball. (It's been over four months since the game was played, but if anyone has the answer as to why the goal was disallowed, half of southern Greenland would still like to know.) Siuteroq had another chance to make the game safe moments later when a shot was blocked on the line, and Malamuk's Hans Peter Bernhardtsen had a golden chance to level the match right on 90 minutes when on a one-on-one with Enoksen, but hit the ball off his standing foot and into the arms of a grateful Siuteroq goalkeeper.

Fifth place, then, for a Siuteroq-43 side who did not play at all badly during the tournament but who had seemingly left their knack for scoring goals back in southern Greenland. Ian Enoksen, Malik Stephensen and Eli Simonsen were among those who stood out for the team. FC Malamuk had a forgettable tournament; they seemed to come and go without anyone really noticing, but Pavia Nielsen, Marco Leibhardt and Bernhardt Fleischer all did themselves justice.

The third-place match between host side IT-79 and G-44 was a game between two sides who had not quite shown their true potential during the tournament. IT-79 were torn apart in their previous two matches by opponents who had caught them napping on the counter-attack, whilst G-44 had not shown enough attacking menace in their semi-final defeat to Nagdlúnguak-48.

G-44 were the better team for huge swathes of the first half but, once again, could not convert their chances, and were made to pay by IT-79 on the half-hour when Julius Motzfeldt smashed home the students' first goal in three games following a period of pass and move football and some good work from Kuluk Ezekiasen and Isak Lyberth. It was a powerful strike by Motzfeldt from 15 yards which flew into the roof of the net, but G-44 'keeper Knud Brandt might reflect that he could have kept the shot out; he had had a good tournament but was a little slow to react on this occasion. Ezekiasen doubled IT-79's lead in the 38th minute, swivelling and beating Brandt with a daisy-cutter from 12 yards, having received a pin-point pass from Hans-Karl Berthelsen, who had darted down the right and left two defenders bamboozled in his wake before delivering the so-called killer pass.

There was little difference between the teams in the second half, with G-44 continuing to threaten the IT-79 goal but continued to come up against an unbreachable defence. It was perhaps inevitable that IT-79 would pick them off, and they did so with three goals in four minutes. In the 76th minute in a most unfortunate manner - if you are Knud Brandt, at least. A Malik Juhl free-kick glided between his hands and hit him in the face; Brandt was momentarily disorientated and completely lost his bearings as he instinctively searched for the loose ball. Unfortunately for him, it bounced right behind him as he turned to face his goal and Jakob Fleischer nipped in to prod the ball over the line from two yards out. Ninety seconds later, Juhl played a one-two with substitute Nikki Mathiassen before running through, rounding Brandt and slotting home from an angle to put the game beyond G-44.

Hans Karl Berthelsen played a huge part in IT-79's fifth goal a minute later, going on a mazy run from just inside his own half, beating two opponents with ease, before sending a pinpoint ball in the direction of Fleischer, who ran on to beat Brandt with a low shot into the far corner.The suffering was not yet over for Brandt; with four minutes remaining, he cleared a ball which had come between Jakob Fleischer and G-44 team-mate Jan Lyberth. The ball fell to Malik Juhl some thirty yards out, and he seized his chance in style, sending a deft ball over the stranded Brandt and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

G-44's persistence finally, if belatedly, paid off in the 88th minute when Kunuuteraq Isaksen picked up a headed clearance from a corner, turned a defender inside-out and exquisitely curled in a shot from twelve yards out that sailed over five IT-79 players in a packed six-yard box and into the top corner. It was a goal of real quality from one of G-44's players of the tournament.

There were others in the red and white of G-44 who emerged with credit, of course, such as Brandt in goal, Lars Peter Broberg, Steve Broberg and the indefatigible Zakorat Zeeb, who created much for - and suffered more on behalf of - his team. They came up short this year, principally due to their inability to convert possession and pressure into goals, but they will surely be contenders next year. Manager Gorna Zeeb will see to that.

IT-79 recovered admirably from their two heavy defeats against B-67 and Nagdlúnguak-48, doing unto G-44 what the two aforementioned teams had previously done unto them. Hans Karl Berthelsen surely deserves a chance to play at a higher level of football, having been IT-79's best player in their two national tournament appearances thus far. Malik Juhl proved a formidable presence in the purple shirt, whilst Steffen Boller and Anton Enoksen shone in defence and the likes of Julius Motzfeldt and Jakob Fleischer showed that they are capable of finding the net. Despite two damaging defeats in a row in this edition of the national championship, the future looks bright for Allan Geisler's charges.

A good contingent of N-48 supporters were present in Nuuk for the final against B-67, who were aiming to win their fifth national title in succession. Nagdlúnguak-48 hadn't won the championship since 2007, but were looking in fine form in the tournament up to this point and had been scoring goals aplenty. B-67 had been less prolific in front of goal, but their defence was just as watertight as that of their opponents.

There was almost a dramatic start to the game when B-67's John Ludvig Broberg sent a vicious half-volley just over N-48 goalkeeper Gabriel Petersen's bar after just 16 seconds. The locals kept up the pressure, but were caught out in the the seventh minute by Markus Jensen's lovely opener for N-48. Jensen was first to a ball played through from midfield and lobbed it on the run over a helpless Loke Svane and high into the B-67 net.

Cue exuberant celebrations from the boys from the north and their supporters, but they were soon silenced when Niels Svane equalised after 11 minutes, ghosting in at the far post to prod home an Ari Hermann corner with the subtlety of a ballet-dancing ninja.

There then followed a period of wayward crosses and overhit passes from both teams before Hermann sent over another corner in the 25th minute, which was met with a glancing header at the near post by Anders Petersen that glided between two N-48 defenders and over the line to give B-67 the lead. Anders Petersen - and most of those watching at the Nuuk Stadium - thought he had made it 3:1 for B-67 with two minutes to go to half-time when he stormed in to head a Johan Bidstrup corner past N-48 'keeper Gabriel Petersen. He hadn't reckoned on the linesman raising his flag for Niels Svane's foul on defender Peter Rosbach.

B-67 did get their third goal on the hour, though. It was quite simple and and it came slightly against the run of play. A through ball from Hans Brummerstedt reached Norsaq Lund Mathæusen, who had outsprinted a suddenly lead-footed N-48 defence; one touch from Mathæusen was enough to steady himself as he ran diagonally towards goal and he then ran on to put the ball through the onrushing substitute 'keeper Kristin Egede's legs from the edge of the area.

N-48 were not discouraged by their shipping a third goal, and kept pressurising B-67, making - but failing to take - chances as the second half wore on. Peter Leibhardt was denied by an excellent save from Loke Svane when it looked more likely he would score from the edge of the six-yard area, and Markus Jensen missed the chance of the match with ten minutes left; he failed to connect with a Simon Dinesen back-header when clear square in front of goal with only Svane to beat. Poul Thomas Kuko, meanwhile, should have done better at the other end for B-67 when he worked two excellent chances for himself in injury-time but was denied twice by an alertEgede. Lars Reimer tested Svane just before the final whistle with a stinging shot from over 20 yards out; Skane responded with a flying save, tipping the ball on to the post and behind for a corner.

The final whistle heralded a fifth title on the bounce for B-67 and saw a joyous pitch invasion by staff and supporters alike. Although they faced some tough matches in their group, B-67 played some incisive counter-attacking football (as both IT-79 and N-48 found to their cost) thanks in no small part to their midfield trio of Broberg, Maqe and Bidstrup, and their defence, well-marshalled by Niels Svane and Aputsiaq Birch, and goalkeeper Loke Svane were in top form. Birch was voted player of the tournament whilst team-mate Ari Hermann was voted the tournament's most technical player. Truth be told, it was hard to find a weak link in the team. B-67 manager Tekle Ghebrelul, who doubles up as national team manager, can look back with pride at a job well done by his team.Although every final has to have a loser, Nagdlúnguak-48 manager Rene Fleischer can also be proud of his team's performance. Markus Jensen was N-48's man of the tournament and was quite simply a joy to watch. Kaali Mathæusen was the pick of a fine defence which also included Peter Rosback and Angajo Qvist, superbly backed up by Gabriel Petersen in goal. Nick Reimer was tournament top scorer with 7 goals and scored in every group game. Simon Dinesen was another who greatly impressed with some fine football.

B-67 will be looking to win their sixth title in succession next year, but they will be up against some pretty stiff competition if this year's championship was anything to go by. Ghebrelul and his staff don't really need to tinker too much with a system that obviously works; he will also be faced with a more pleasant task of looking at players on behalf of the men's national team ahead of next year's Island Games tournament, which will be held in Gotland, Sweden, at the end of June. There are a number of players who surely must be considered as shoe-ins for the squad, such as Birch, Hermann, Broberg and the Svanes from B-67, Jensen, Dinesen and Mathæusenfrom N-48 and IT-79's Berthelsen and Juhl. It will be an interesting conundrum for Ghebrelul to face, and the standard of some of the football at this year's championship indicates that the GBU's policy of rolling out artificial pitches of all sizes across much of Greenland is paying off. The standard this year was a stark improvement on that of last year and bodes well for next year's championship and further into the future. B-67 will remain the team to beat.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many thanks to the NBU for supplying much of the above statistical information, the GBU, Christian Laursen (B-67) and Moses Bajare (TM-62). Other information was obtained from the Sermitsiaqwebsite, RSSSF.com and Facebook. If anyone has the missing results, please do get in touch! Any errors and/or omissions will be corrected upon receipt of the correct information.

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I am an Irishman in exile; a dedicated follower of football (above all, of Liverpool and Newry City), a fan of the round ball but not neccessarily all that goes with it.
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